How to Introduce Your New Kitten to Your Dog

Just because you have a dog, it doesn't mean you can't bring home a new kitten. Dogs and cats can become best friends, but if you decide to bring home a new kitten, take things slow. Introduce your new kitten to your dog with caution, following a few basic guidelines.

Scent Exchange

You don't want to stress out the kitten more than necessary, so put your kitten in a safe room away from your dog with a bowl of food and water, a litter box and something that smells like your dog. Outside of the room, place the carrier that you brought the kitten home in. You want them to get used to the smell of each other for a day or so before you introduce them.

Supervision

Once the initial excitement has worn off and both animals appear more relaxed, prepare a supervised visit. Exercise your dog so that he's tired, and gather another person so there is one person to supervise each animal. Don't have high expectations; the first visit may not be as smooth as you want, but even if everything goes smoothly, maintain the safe room for your new kitten and keep daily supervised visits. Over the next few weeks, the two will become more comfortable together, and you can start reducing the time the kitten spends in the safe room.

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About the Author

Whitney Lowell has been writing online since 2007. She writes for a variety of online publications and researches a wide range of topics and niches. Lowell has experience with animal rescues, dog training, pet health, raising and breeding reptiles, as well as home businesses, inventory, accounting, and finance.